Beer: Reviews & Ratings

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4.68/5 rDev +11.7%

Appearance: Pours with two fingers of pink head which slowly settled in to the edges of the glass while drinking. The color is bold ruby red that is darker then I expected. Active carbonation is pretty much on par for the style.

Smell: Sprite yeast, tart yet surprisingly juicy cherries, and oak all rush the drinker immediately. Earth, straw, figs, and a touch of darker fruits like blackberries raspberries all shine on the body. That rustic, funky oak continues to blast through to the back end with some sugary cherry tartness wishing you a sweet farewell.

Taste: The second this beer touches your lips, such a wonderfully rounded tartness explodes. The woody oak notes are really unlike any other beer I've ever had, rich mature oak and there is some brighter flavors resembling cedar. The cherries on the body are have the flavors of dried cherries, giving off plenty of sweetness but remains grounded throughout. Dancing on the back end is this bright bouquet of citrus fruits playing along well with the oak and cherries. Lingering tartness with faint dark fruits and breathable woody notes sit on the palate long after drinking.

Mouthfeel: The carbonation is very noticeable while drinking, but fits perfectly with everything going on. Bright fruits produced from the yeast are unrivaled.

Overall: My first Cantillon was a special treat. I really couldn't find a way past the incredible flavors the oak produce in this beer. The oak manages to round all of the corners perfectly together, especially the cherries which take on a much darker profile then I expected. A truly wonderful experience. (1,627 characters)

First I will say this is very traditional and well made,but Iam not a fan of the lambic style I have found out.Poured great orange/reddish color with nice looking spritzy head that went quick.Smell had some cherrystone in it maybe a little vanilla?Taste about knocked me over the sourness was too much for me to handle,was expecting a little soureness but this was overpowering.Like I said well made just not a fan of the style. (428 characters)

Appearance  This was delivered in a tiny little Chimay glass. It was a beautiful raspberry red in color with a pink head. The colors were just brilliant and it probably was the prettiest glass of beer that I have ever seen.

Smell  The sharp sweet and sour nose was amazing. The luscious, fresh raspberries smelled so natural and fresh they rivaled the smell of real raspberries. This was a collusion of nature, a rich, fruity freshness and the light beer-like malt with the sophisticated aroma of dull soury lemon.

Taste  The tart flavors were so big at the taste that I literally did a double-take. They were mixed with a fresh fruity sweetness in just the right ratio. The raspberries from the nose accompanied some wonderful but not overpowering cherry flavors. The malts were light, just enough to let the drinker know that he is drinking a beer.

Mouthfeel  This was a bit bigger than light-bodied and perfectly carbonated. The feel in the cheeks was light and fluffy yet lively enough to keep one entertained. The tartness was bigger than other samples of the style but played right into the bold flavors of this wonderful Lambic.

Drinkability  This was the show-stopper of the night at the OBriens pre-Stone 10th Anniversary BA Party. Any fan of the style would die for a taste of this offering from Cantillon. (1,342 characters)

Poured from a bottle into a simple white wine glass at the brewery. Viscous looking rose with red hues and a healthy dark pink froth. Great carbonation streams. Healthy to aggressive aroma of fresh cherries and earth. Acid is immediately present and bites at the nostril hairs. Hits the palate with a distinctive sourness and tartness and goes immediately dry. Rich cherry flavors dominate along fresh lemon acidity, earth, and traces of chestnut. Mouthfeeel is bone dry, effervescent, and light-medium bodied. Drinkability is superb. Phenomenal in its simplicity, and outstanding example of the style. (602 characters)

Thanks to BA doobliebop for this one! Paired with a medium-rare steak and baked potato. Pours a light-crimson, Bloody Mary colored red, completely opaque and murky everywhere but the very top. Very volatile, causing a faint-pink head to form quickly but fizzle away completely within thirty seconds.

Aroma is heavy, musty cherries; sweet and aged, with a little bit of a vinous character; more wine-like than expected. Some grape peel and raspberries are hanging around there also. Very authentic, juicy, and acidic. You can just tell from the aroma that this is gonna be a sour ass beer. The sour doesn't stand alone, however - decent amount of funky yeast creeps in trashes about. Light barnyward, wet wood, mild hay - overall, the funk doesn't quite stand up to the tartness, but it's enough to contribute to the aroma in a big way.

I bring the glass to my lips and the brew hits my palate thin and heavily carbonated while my nostrils are being raped by a thicker, heavier cherry aroma. Wow! This beer begins with an intense tartness right off the bat - extremely sour and acidic. Puckering and lip smacking, the sourness lasts for a good few seconds or so before it settles down and begins to subside.

Overwhelming, juicy, ripe, authentic cherries make for most of the flavor, alongside some grape peel and various other "berry" types. Even at 5% ABV, the alcohol is detectable, but very soft and playful. Once the incredible sour component fades, the last few seconds of the sip are filled with a delicate sweetness that turns to a slightly corky and funky flavor. Enough to give you that wet hay and barnyard kick without distracting from the lovely tart cherries. The very acidic nature of this beer makes for a deceivingly dry finish, despite the juicy character of the flavor profile.

Holy sheeyat. Excellent brew, here - a good departure from the normal brews I drink. Sourness was intense, but it became addicting and I was disappointed to have this one end. This beer is authentic, raw, sour, and juicy, through and through. I really wish this stuff wasn't so difficult to come by in America! I need to get my hands on some more Cantillon brews. Two thumbs up.

EDIT: 3/22/2013

Enjoyed another '12 thanks to Ron. Even more sour than I remember. A lot more funk to it, too. Overall, just entirely more flavor-packed than I remember (and believe me, it was already incredible before). Super sour and acidic cherries, raspberries, and grapes. Less vinous this time around. So quenching and addictive. Gotta bump the score up on this one. Great stuff. (2,566 characters)

Vintage 2008. Bottled January 21 2008. Best before end of 2015. 750 corked and capped bottle. Serving date: 2009-03-06. Served in wine glass.

A: A very beautiful brew. Somewhat deep ruby color with plenty of red and pink hues. Small pink head, leaves some lacings around the edge of the glass. Rather hazy initially. Towards the end, when more of the yeast goes into the glass, it becomes very murky (and looks like a strawberry milkshake).

S: Nice acidic smell, rather prominent vinegar, plenty of rich fruit aromas - cherries, some apples, cherry pits. Some straw, that develops into wet straw towards the end. A subtle funkiness every now and them.

T: Very powerful acidic taste. The beer is just unbelievably sour. Some vinegar. After the massive sourness, the fruits kick in - cherries, cherry pits, apples, dry orange, lemon juice. Earth, some straw and again subtle funkiness (going towards stable). Beneath this explosion of flavors one can also note the malts and the wheat, but they are really restrained. The finish is rather dry, has some nuts and pits. Plenty of sour notes linger on in the mouth.

Tasty, delicious, tart, dark berry fruits on the tongue. Soft carbonation slides evenly across the tongue like a lubed up armadillidiidae on ice. With tartness to boot. Very well balanced and just fun to drink. (570 characters)

This brew pours a beautiful rich red indicative of the cherries used to make it. No head at all but more carbonation than I was expecting. I did pour very slow because this is my first Cantillon lambic and I wanted to savor every second. It smells of sour cherries. There is nothing artificial hitting the senses. You can smell the wood barrels that this.kriek was aged in. I pleasant funk dominates the palate and by holding it in your mouth for a few seconds you can feel the flavor evolve from sour to earthly with the cherries making their presence known throughout. A good.amount of carbonation and a well balanced mouth feel. Overall, this is the best lambic I have had to date. If it wasn't so hard to get, I would buy more. Absolutely outstanding... (784 characters)

Yet another Cantillon lambic I've been dying to try. Cork evacuates the bottle with a nice pop. Bottled in 2003. Pours from the bottle a stunning red with hints of pink...a nice bubbly pink head tops it off. Brilliant ruby when held up to the light. The nose comes with a sour, astringent cherry mixed with a splash of vinegar, a hint of lemon and a healthy dose of barnyard, dirty laundry funkiness that is trademark Cantillon...simply lovely.

First sip is a rush of acidic, mouth puckering sour. Hints of lemon peek through as the vibrant sour cherry tones flow over the palate. The barnyard, earthy, woody, dank funkiness is simply spectacular. A perfect mix of lambic and fruit that creates an incredibly rewarding drinking experience. Amazing.

Small bubbly carbonation couple with a nice light body that flows over the tongue. Each and every taste bud stands up at attention with each sip taking in the sublte complexities that only Cantillon can deliver. I have a feeling that when I finish this bottle I will be left aching for more and looking forward to the next time I can partake in this finely crafted, spontaneously fermented masterpiece. History, art, brewing and nature all in one bottle.

Bottled 18 April 2011..freshest bottle I've had - sampled 09-20-2011

Pours into my glass a deep vibrant cherry red with a fizzy pink head that disappears rather quickly. Aromas are bright with cherries along with an underlying deep sour funk. Lots of oak notes with lemon zest. Musty, earthy and a touch of vinegar. Lovely.

Mouthfeel is light with very spritzy carbonation that explodes across the palate with each sip. Such a great depth of flavor, I love how every time I drink a Cantillon beer it's like a new experience. Wish it was easier to drink this more often!! (2,004 characters)

Well...it took me two days to open this beer...literally. I didn't realize there was a cork underneath the cap. Had to buy a corkscrew today just to get at this. The smell coming through the cork was tantalizing.

Pours a unique strawberry/garnet red with a good bit of haze. No head formation at all. Aroma is overloaded with tart smells which penetrate the nose with sour cherries and apples causing the backs of my jaw to hurt just thinking about it. Could be a little stronger. Just as suspected there is an overload of sourness which I absolutely love. Taste is sweet and dry at the same time. Comes across like a cherry sweettart candy with a bit of peppery spiciness. Mouthfeel is sweet and dry at the same time. The sourness causes my mouth to salivate like crazy but this beer finishes dry making you want to come back for more. Drinkability is great too. Even though this beer is extremely sour its nicely drinkable. Not overwhelming because of the dry finish which dimenishes the sourness quickly.

Overall, a great beer. Definately worth the money to pick this one up, especially if you are just experimenting with lambics. (1,139 characters)

Rather elegant packaging, at least compared to American beers. Sealed with foil, capped, and with a cork, mine being dated 2004. Fizzy soda-like head, that actually sticks around in my Lindemans lambic glass. Dark red body, somewhat translucent if held up to light.

Smells good & tart. Doesnt seem as strong in those qualities as the other two Cantillons I have had.

But oh my, it is certainly tart/sour in the taste. Perhaps stronger than the other two I've had? I think it has more sourness than actual flavor, which is interesting. I cant really pick up on much cherry taste. At least, not the kind of sweet candy cherry flavor Americans are used to.

The mouthfeel is a tart, sour wallop. Awesome and powerful.

I dont think any normal person would have more than one of these at a sitting, considering the price ($6 per 12oz bottle), and the extreme characteristics. Glad I got to try it, and maybe I will have it again one day if I happen upon it. (963 characters)